Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, please put a penny in Joe Grundy's hat. Discuss The Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Ho ho ho! Will this thread last until Christmas?

I agree, Cromwell. Both BF women behaving like PITAs. I can't really get concerned about Christmas Day at BF. I know some of you have a theory about Jill developing dementia, but I think it's just rubbish writing. I hope Ben has a naice time though.

When is Caz supposed to be visiting? After Xmas?

And happy birthday to Gypsy. Hope you enjoy celebrating.

I was thinking that the best way Brookfield could deal with Christmas would be to dispatch themselves to LL or the Stables for the day and leave Pip to cope with morning milking, Christmas dinner and Toby who will be drunk by 11 and bored to sobs by the domestic bliss.

Happy birthday gypsy and thanks for the AA link mummytime.

Thanks all. I had a day driving for uni collection duty , left at 6 , home by 4 with a brief run into Durham for lunch and some shopping. 500 miles. I know how to party

Anyone else see parallels with Helen's situation when Henwee was being sworn to secrecy: "Grandad kept saying ho ho ho and making me laugh, but I won't tell." Helen is swearing herself to secrecy this time. She had the perfect opportunity there to say something when she was talking about Henwee making a card for Knob. she was clearly uncomfortable though and kept looking over her shoulder and jumped when Ruth said hello.
Why can't Ruth see that it's like mother like daughter. Last year she stormed off to NZ in a huff and didn't come back for Christmas (Ben has been so traumatised he hasn't been heard of since) At least Pip is only across the yard in Rickyard, if she wants to see her she can join her for milking. Jill has gone into ridiculous overdrive - her tree decorating interference would have been a much subtler way to show conflict. The Toby rant makes her sound unhinged.

and leave Ruth to burn her own Christmas dinner genius

I'm sick of Ruth banging on about having a special Christmas after she ruined last year for everyone.

Ben has been so traumatised he hasn't been heard of since

That's not true. We heard how many boxes of cereal he gets through.

I think it's because she ruined Christmas last year that Ruth is so keen on this year being a perfect one.

I suspect Toby thinks they'll spend Christmas Day shagging and won't be too happy when Pip disappears to do the milking.

Why does Ruth obsess about having her grown up daughter with them for Christmas? It's not like she ever made a habit of going to her parents.

I think it's because she ruined Christmas last year that Ruth is so keen on this year being a perfect one.

Absolutely. But guilting everyone else about it isn't making me like her much right now.

I don't think Toby is even going to be in Ambridge this Christmas.

Why does Ruth obsess about having her grown up daughter with them for Christmas? It's not like she ever made a habit of going to her parents.

Good point Deepan. Especially since she was an only child and seems to be able to take lots of days off during the festive season.

Judging by Pipsqueak's idea of having champagne on tap all day ('with orange juice for breakfast, and with brandy for cocktails later in the day') she won't be doing much milking for a week or so. Champagne cocktails give you the hangover from hell. And it would serve her right too.

Anyway Toebeeeeeee will no doubt get a sudden and mysterious summons to Brighton on Christmas morning just as Pipsqueak is about to pop her first cork. And she can then make a dramatic tearful entrance into the bosom of her long-suffering loving family.

Going off topic for a moment, can anyone explain David's mutterings the other day about Kenton's new 4x4? I'm in total agreement with him that Kenton should have paid him back before splashing out but I didn't understand "I'd like a new car, Ruth would like a new car....". Didn't R inherit in excess of £300k earlier this year? I know they've changed the herd but surely they've got money to spare?

I wondered the same about Ruth's inheritance. They sold a herd in peak condition so I assume the new herd was bought from the proceeds of that. She can't have spent it all in New Zealand.

Paid off the overdraft? I seem to remember that they spent bucketloads (£50k?) on the abortive sale.

I found Jill really irritating in that episode, she'd already upset Ruth over the Christmas tree - but hadn't realised. David was trying to peacemake, and Jill does seem to have a bit of mono-mania about it all. She needs Carole to knock some sense into her - or give her the right "tea".
Pip was also shifty, as she knows she behaved very irresponsibly with her profits from the mob grazing.

My predictions: Toby will be around at Christmas - keeping Pip from her family. But then dump her to go to "Brighton" for a party for NYE - leaving Pip alone and miserable.
Rex will find out about Pip funding Toby and will hit the roof and either strong arm his brother into paying her back OR will spill the beans big time.

Maybe it's my automatic irritation with Ruth when she's feeling hard done by, but she was being a bit precious about the tree anyway. She was moaning that the kids weren't there to help, then when Jill offers to help she doesn't like that either. She really needs to get her head out of her backside about the whole Christmas thing.

I think Ruth's behaviour is absolutely disgraceful. I'm very sorry for Jill right now. Ruth rarely bothers to hide her exasperation and Jill seems to spend most of her time tiptoeing around her. Ruth was perfectly happy to turf her out of Brrokfield to make way for Heather and only really wanted her back when they ran out of food and clean clothes. Jill has no other 'home' to go to. It must be devastating to find herself with no say over who she spends important occasions with at her time of life.

This is nice.

Jill has gone into ridiculous overdrive - her tree decorating interference would have been a much subtler way to show conflict

Now I didn't hear Jill's conversation as interference at all. She arrived home to discover that Ruth had put up the Christmas tree and only asked if she was going to add the tinsel. If Ruth actually liked her Mother In Law, this simple question wouldn't have bothered her in the least. Ruth's "do whatever you like, I'm off" reaction spoke volumes. She's so rude. The tension in that house must be unbearable. And I'm fed up with Pip winding her mother up about Jill. The spoilt little madam is perfectly well aware that she's lighting the touchpaper and standing well back.

Have just heard "David, all I ever wanted was Christmas with our children. I don't have anyone else, do I?". She is really horrible.

I agree Vango - Ruth is behaving appallingly. She's conveniently forgotten the trauma she put the family through, is enabling Pip yet again to be horribly self obsessed, and is seemingly willing to blame everyone apart from herself.

In a crisis, Ruth never seems to be at her best.

She arrived home to discover that Ruth had put up the Christmas tree and only asked if she was going to add the tinsel.

She did also say something about it not looking finished without tinsel, which could easily be taken as criticism if you're all on edge anyway.